Revival Of The Coach Gun

The history of the American West was written, literally, with firearms. And although this occurred during a surprisingly brief period more than 150 years ago, many guns from this time are well-known today. In fact, thanks to Hollywood, even those with little interest in firearms recognize the Colt Single Action Army revolver and the Winchester lever-action rifle as "The Guns That Won The West."

Lesser known is the coach gun. But, in the overall scheme of things it was certainly as important as those other weapons--possibly more so--when it came to settling the West.

PROTECTION RACKET
The term "coach gun" emerged in 1858 when Wells, Fargo & Co. began regular stagecoach service from Tipton, Mo., to San Francisco, Calif. The route was 2800 miles long, and passed through some of the most lawless areas of the West. In addition to carrying passengers, Wells Fargo also had contracts for the U.S. Mail, as well as the task of transporting gold shipments to its banking facilities.

To say that the coaches became a tempting target for outlaws is an understatement. In fact, robbing stagecoaches became a cottage industry in some areas, and between 1870 and 1884 Wells Fargo stages were the target of 347 robbery attempts.

Getting the stage and its valuable cargo through was not a job for the fainthearted, and some of the best in the West accepted the challenge. Among those who spent time driving stagecoaches were Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody and Morgan Earp.

Riding with them was an armed guard toting a coach gun.

This wasn't a specific make or model of firearm. It was a moniker earned through circumstance by a generic class of guns. These were compact, side-by-side double-barreled shotguns featuring barrels in the 12- to 20-in. range to allow easy handling in the cramped driver's box of the stage.

Virtually all featured twin triggers, with one trigger for each barrel. Most were equipped with external hammers, called "rabbit ears," although some hammerless models were produced. The 12-ga. likely was the most popular, although the 10-ga. and, to a lesser extent, the 16-ga. were widely used.

Glamorous they were not. But they were an ideal tool for the task.

Although repeating rifles held more rounds and had a greater range, only in Hollywood does one score consistent hits on moving targets from the bouncing box of a fleeing stagecoach. The multiple-shot charge from a smoothbore was far more likely to score, and since only hits counted in that situation, shotguns were the choice of savvy stage guards.

There were some repeating shotguns available that could hold more than the two rounds of the double barrel, but their mechanisms were rather delicate and not up to the rigors of stage travel. That made them less than reliable.

The sturdy little double barrels suffered no such ills. They were virtually indestructible, and even if heavily fouled they would fire as long as shells could be rammed into the chambers and the action closed. Should fouling become excessive, a quick wipe on the breech face and chambers with a shirttail would put the gun back into action.

When it came to guarding the stage, the coach gun reigned supreme. In fact, the term "riding shotgun" is still in common use today. But, as effective as the coach gun was, its reign was brief.

By the late 1890s, railroads were carrying the bulk of gold shipments. Stage lines were in decline and provided rather meager pickings for robbers. At the same time, smokeless powder came into use, as did more reliable repeating shotguns, like the 6-shot Winchester Model 97 pump.